2024 is being crazy for all RPG fans. We have only been there for a little over two months and a few essential titles of this genre have already gone on sale that become wells of hours that can easily last a minimum of 50-60 hours. And the rhythm does not seem like it wants to take a break, because this same month it will arrive another of the most promising games of the yearas is the case with Dragon’s Dogma 2.
I recently had the opportunity to play in depth a trial version of this long-awaited sequel developed by Capcom. I’m not going to deny that from all the videos I had seen so far my expectations were sky-high, but my desire to play it thoroughly and lose myself in its moment of fantasy has increased tremendously.
Over the course of about three hours I was able to enjoy a large preview of a game that was at a very advanced point in the adventure, so that means I can’t talk about details related to the plot. Therefore, in these first impressions I will focus solely on its playability and how much it captivated me, because it has all the makings of being a game that will be talked about for a long time.
Savage battles between the Pawns and ruthless creatures
I started the game directly in the middle of a city where the only thing I knew was that I had to find a way to get out of it. However, a gate with its own security guard blocked my way, so I had no way of escaping unless I gave him a document he requested. Since I didn’t have it in my possession and had no idea where to get it, I had no choice but to look for an alternative.
That’s when it became very clear to me that the game will give me total freedom to play my way. More than anything because while I was walking around I noticed that a carriage was heading towards the gate and this one was granted access. So, since I didn’t know if something bad would happen if the guard saw me, I stood right on the other side of the vehicle to go unnoticed and thus get my way.
However, what I didn’t count on was that right afterward there were going to be other soldiers walking around and they did notice the trick I had pulled off, so I had no choice but to mess with them. Any time is a good time to test the combat system and this title’s system is simply spectacular, constantly offering a high dose of action.
The Arisen, the protagonist, is capable of specialize in different classes with their own skills and weapons that directly affect the way you play. Although there are a total of ten different ones, in this trial version only two of them were available:
- The Mystic Lancer: A class that specializes primarily in hand-to-hand combat and is capable of using certain spells, such as one that allows you to attract objects or launch enemies into the air. In fact, I put this into practice with one of the guards I mentioned and he even went through the door of a house, breaking it into pieces. In addition, he is capable of making great leaps, lunging at his adversaries or even sticking his spear into the backs of large creatures to wreak havoc.
- The Magic Archer: Its name itself already makes it clear, but it is a class that focuses on shooting different types of arrows, such as healing ones, others in the form of a submachine gun, and even another whose trajectory can be manually controlled so that it explodes with a huge explosion when hit. hit the target. Without a doubt, I thought he was excessively powerful due to the damage he caused and his great mobility to overcome any situation.
Of course, the test was divided into two sections and in this first one I could only check how the Lancer performed. The truth is that it didn’t convince me too much, because I didn’t notice that it hit too hard when I ran into large groups of wild creatures. However, at a certain point I had to fight against a kind of giant ogre that I gave a good beating by sticking my spear in its back and hitting it incessantly while it kept trying to get away to knock me down.
The confrontations are brutal and most intense, because all the enemies hit quite hard and at no time should this be considered a button masher. Of course, you have to be very clear about what skills to use at all times, try to avoid blows and above all form an adequate team of companions, because something that I have appreciated is that artificial intelligence is tremendously high.
My companions knew what they were doing at all times, whether attacking or unleashing offensive or healing spells. What’s more, it is possible to choose who will be the companions, called Pawns, although here there were a fixed character that could not be changed and two others that could be exchanged by others in areas in the form of bases spread across the stage, where it appears as an army of these allies that you have been recruiting throughout the entire game.
In this way, it is possible to consult their specialties and their statistics to be clear about who is the best option before moving forward on this epic journey. On the other hand, it is also not possible to use special attacks incessantly, because these consume an energy bar, so you should not overdo it, but at least you can give orders to your companions to take care of the dirty work while your character rest for a few seconds.
A very vivid fantasy world that seems to have no end
In the second part of this trial version was when I was able to play as the Magic Archer and he instantly became a class that will be difficult for me not to opt for in the final version. Although the difficulty of the game was still high and I did not have to take any confrontation lightly, the fact that I could shoot from afar with the most lethal arrows while my companions fought hand-to-hand made things a little easier.
As soon as I started I found a Griffin that impressed me with its size, which made me believe that it was going to be crazy to stand up to it, but the explosive arrows are crazy, the damage they cause upon impact and if I can also heal myself with my own arrows, then turn it off and let’s go. Even so, when push comes to shove, I will try the rest of the classes in case there is another one that I end up liking more.
In any case, this second part focused more on exploration, allowing me to travel the world of this new Dragon’s Dogma and realize that Capcom seems to have decided to go all out, because The enormous size of this open world is amazing.. Especially because after more than an hour of walking around from one side to the other, I saw the map and that’s when I realized that I hadn’t even traveled a bit when it seemed like I had actually gone a long way.
That made it clear to me that this game will be practically impossible to get under 100 hours. Not only to visit it in its entirety and the number of different places it has, between fields, mountains, caves, etc., but also because of how alive he constantly feels between the enemies that live everywhere and the characters that you meet along the way. In this case, some of them offer the possibility of joining your ranks, just as there are also those who deliver secondary missions, but what did surprise me was that along the way there may be other groups of traveling heroes who simply sign up. to the festival of distributing cuts without asking for anything in return.
What must not be lost sight of at any time is the inventory. Along the way it is very easy to collect resources of all kinds or any object that you find lying on the ground. The problem is that everything you pick up weighs a certain amount of grams or kilos And before you realize it, you have too many things in your pockets, causing the character to move more slowly or not have as much mobility. At least, you can hand over part of the load to your colleagues so you don’t have to get rid of something important.
Likewise, the adventure has day and night cycles, making it dangerous to travel when the sun goes down. More than anything because at that moment there will be no type of lighting, so you don’t see three on a donkey, which makes it difficult to know where to go or where the enemies are, so the combats become even more challenging. That is why a good idea is to set up camps to rest, regain strength and thus continue forward when dawn breaks.
And another anecdote that the game left me, returning to the issue of the freedom you have to do what you want, is that I wanted to check what would happen if you behaved like a Kaffir. That led me to attack the innocent inhabitants of a city, which caused all the alarms to go off and the guards did not hesitate for a moment to try to catch me. And yes, I don’t say kill because here What the soldiers do is lock you in jail If you get over ready. Luckily, there is always a hidden key in the cells, but only the first time, because if you get caught a second time then you will have no choice but to bribe a guard with half the money in your pockets to let you escape without lose all belongings.
Be that as it may, I’m looking forward to seeing what more surprises, anecdotes and fascinating moments it will make me experience Dragon’s Dogma 2. The more than three hours that I have been playing went by in a flash and I am clear that he has not yet shown me all his cards, but what I have seen so far has completely conquered me. I just want to get lost living countless adventures in this amazing fantasy world.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 file
- Platforms: PC, PS5 y Xbox Series
- Multiplayer: No
- Developer: Capcom
- Company: Capcom
- Launch: March 22, 2024
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